@*††«¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨«††*@
##@£*^†«~¨                                          ¨~«†^*£@##
##@£*^†«~¨                                          ¨~«†^*£@##
@£*††~~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~~††*£@
##@£*^†«~¨                                          ¨~«†^*£@##
#@*†~¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨~†*@#
##@£*^†«~¨             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ¨~«†^*£@##
£^«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ***##########***             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«^£
£*^†«~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~«†^*£
£^^††«~¨¨¨ FROM   NORTH   TO  SOUTH,   THIRTY   ODD ¨¨¨~«††^^£
@£^««~~¨¨¨ KILOMETERS.  FROM  WEST  TO  EAST,  FOUR ¨¨¨~~««^£@
£**†««~¨¨¨ THOUSAND METERS. FROM TOPSOIL TO  STONE, ¨¨¨~««†**£
££^«~¨¨¨¨¨ A  FOOT OR  TWO. NO ROOTS CAN FESTER, NO ¨¨¨¨¨~«^££
##@£*^†«~¨             DUST CAN LINGER.             ¨~«†^*£@##
##@£*^†«~¨                                          ¨~«†^*£@##
#£^^^«~¨¨¨ HERE  IS  EARTH,  CLAY,  AND STURDY  LOW ¨¨¨~«^^^£#
##@£*^†«~¨ PLANTS.  BUSHES  FRAME  THE  STRIP.  THE ¨~«†^*£@##
###£*^†«~¨ EARTH IS BARE  IN  PATCHES  AS  LARGE AS ¨~«†^*£###
##@£*^†«~¨               YOU AND ME.                ¨~«†^*£@##
###@*^†«~¨                                          ¨~«†^*@###
#@*†††~~¨¨ CROSS IT  TO  GET TO THE OCEAN, OR DON'T ¨¨~~†††*@#
@@*^^«~~~¨          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          ¨~~~«^^*@@
@£*†~~~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~~~†*£@
@*†~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~†*@
#£^††~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~††^£#
#@*^«¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨«^*@#
##@£*^†«~¨                                          ¨~«†^*£@##
@@££*^†«~¨                                          ¨~«†^*££@@